Old Monk's Journal: Journal Entry 247
Here is the poem for Monday, April 26. To celebrate National Poetry Month, I am posting a short poem, a question and prompt every other day during the month. Mostly they will be poems by my daily companions, the ancient Japanese and Chinese poets. I will do the prompt myself, either in prose or poetry, and invite you to join.
Living in the mountains
I have grown old,
No longer needing much sleep—
I am always up at dawn
To greet the morning moon.
--Rengetsu
Do you like this poem? Why or why not? How does it make you feel?
Prompt: Start your writing response with the word “Living” and attach it to a person or place or even see where it leads you
Living in the city
Living in the country
Living through the pandemic
Living with you
Living alone
Living in the monastery
I have grown either wise or weary:
No longer interested in emperors
Throned clergy, daily chant, community babble—
I cling to my prayer beads.
--Old Monk
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A blog by Mary Lou Kownacki
A personal journal captures what’s in the heart. Most of my adult life I’ve recorded my notes, brief reflections, poems, reactions to daily events in a journal. It is an ongoing source of monastic formation; the rich and raw material of life that helps shape my Monastery of the Heart. About a year ago, Old Monk began to appear on my journal’s pages. Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB, is the Monasteries of the Heart coordinator.
Previous Posts | Posted |
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Journal Entry 256 | Tue, 2022-08-30 08:35 |
Journal Entry 255 | Tue, 2022-04-19 14:11 |
Journal Entry 254 | Wed, 2022-01-26 13:38 |
Journal Entry 253 | Mon, 2022-01-17 11:04 |
Journal Entry 252 | Mon, 2021-12-06 11:49 |
Journal Entry 251 | Mon, 2021-07-19 10:24 |
Journal Entry 250 | Sat, 2021-05-29 13:57 |
Journal Entry 249 | Fri, 2021-04-30 15:02 |
Journal Entry 248 | Wed, 2021-04-28 09:21 |
Journal Entry 247 | Mon, 2021-04-26 14:45 |
Journal Entry 246 | Sat, 2021-04-24 12:49 |
Journal Entry 245 | Wed, 2021-04-21 12:53 |
Journal Entry 244 | Mon, 2021-04-19 09:56 |
Journal Entry 243 | Sat, 2021-04-17 17:37 |
Journal Entry 242 | Thu, 2021-04-15 07:15 |
Journal Entry 241 | Tue, 2021-04-13 07:08 |
Journal Entry 240 | Sun, 2021-04-11 08:34 |
Journal Entry 239 | Fri, 2021-04-09 07:17 |
Journal Entry 238 | Wed, 2021-04-07 07:58 |
Journal Entry 237 | Mon, 2021-04-05 07:23 |
Journal Entry 237 | Tue, 2021-03-30 11:05 |
Journal Entry 236 | Thu, 2021-03-04 16:44 |
Journal Entry 235 | Wed, 2021-02-10 10:51 |
Journal Entry 234 | Thu, 2020-12-31 16:52 |